Injector device



April 26, 1960 'r. H. CORBETT INJECTOR DEVICE Filed June 4, 1957 United States Patent" INJECTOR DEVICE Thomas Harold Corbett, Chicago, 11].

Application June 4, 1957, Serial No. 663,401

4 Claims. (Cl. 137-111) This invention relates to the treatment of water and particularly to the injection of measured amounts of a treating solution into a water line each time water starts to flow therethrough.

In many situations where water is caused to flow intermittently through a pipe line, it is desirable to introduce a measured amount of treating liquid such as a germicide, a detergent, a wetting agent or the like into the flowing water in the line, and in the past this has been accomplished primarily through the use of an injecting pump operated either manually, by independent power means, or by hydrostatic pressure applied to a pump as an incident to the turning on of the water in the line.

Such injecting devices as heretofore used have been relatively complicated in character and have involved considerable cost in the way of manufacturing, installation .and upkeep expense, and it is, therefore, the primary :object of the present invention to provide an injecting device that is self-contained and which may be incorporated in a water supply line to perform an injecting operation each time the water is turned on in the line. More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to pro- 'vide an injecting device that is simple in character and extremely small so that it may be connected at opposite ends to portions of a water supply line so as to be operated through its cycle each time the water is turned on.

Other important objects are to provide an injector de vice of the aforesaid character that is noiseless in operation and which will operate uniformly despite usual variations in water pressure; to provide such an injector wherein the use of diaphragms and check valves is avoided; and to provide such an injector that may be mounted .in its position of use in a simple manner.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims,

:and are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which, by way of illustration show a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the principles thereof, and what is now considered to be the best mode in which to apply these principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through an injector embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 and showing the injector in its operated relation.

Figs. 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views taken respectively along the lines 3-3 and 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view showing the sectional formation of the cylinder block.

For purposes of disclosure the invention is herein illustrated as embodied in an injector device having a housing provided by a hollow cylindrical member 11 with an outlet end cap 12 threaded onto one end thereof 2,934,081 Patented Apr. 26, 19611 ice and an inlet end cap 13 fixed on its other end by a threaded collar 13C somewhat in the nature of a union fitting. Within the cylindrical housing 11 a cylinder block 15 is mounted in a fixed position to provide an axial cylinder 16 that is relatively small in diameter and which extends through the entire cylinder block 15. Above the cylinder block 15, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the cylindrical wall 11 defines a relatively large cylinder which constitutes a control chamber 17 as will hereinafter be described, and between the cylinder 15 and the outlet end cap 12, a mixing chamber 18 is formed.

A composite piston assembly 20 is mounted Within the housing and this piston assembly comprises a relatively long, thin measuring piston 21 that is reciprocable in the small cylinder 16 and a relatively large and thin actuating piston 22 that is secured on the upper end of measuring piston 21 as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. Between the cylinder block 15 and the actuating piston 22 an expansive coil spring 23 surrounds the measuring piston 21 so as to urge the piston 20 toward a retracted position that is shown in Fig. 1 wherein the actuating piston 22 engages the opposed surface of the inlet end cap 13. A downward annular flange 22F on the piston 22 centers the upper end of the spring 23. The actuating piston 22 has a pair of relatively small relief openings 22R formed therein so that water may fiow slowly through the piston 22 when the piston 22 is being returned from an actuated position of Fig. 2 to its normal retracted position of Fig. l. The actuating piston 22 has a relatively snug, yet free sliding fit in the cylinder or chamber 17.

The measuring piston 21 is arranged so that when it is moved longitudinally from its retracted position of Fig. 1 to its actuated position of Fig. 2 it will move a measured amount of a treating liquid into the mixing chamber 18, and to accomplish this result, the measuring piston 21 has an annular groove 216 formed therein at such an endwise location that when the piston assembly 20 is in its retracted position the groove 216 will be located at substantially the midpoint of the cylinder 16. In this location, the measuring groove 216 is connected to one or more supply passages 24 that are extended through the cylinder block 15 and through the wall 11 as at 124 at a point opposite the location of the groove 216. Only one opening 124 is shown through the Wall 11 in the present instance. In the present instance, the cylinder 16 has an internal annular groove 16G opposite this location to facilitate distribution of treating liquid in the measuring groove 21G and to assure complete filling of the groove 21G prior to actuation of the piston assembly 20.

When the piston assembly 20 is actuated from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2, water is permitted to pass the piston 22 and through the block 15, as will be described, and in addition, the groove 21G, with its measured content of treating liquid, is moved downwardly out of cylinder 16 and into the mixing chamber 18, and a flow of water through the mixing chamber 18 mixes with the measured charge of treating liquid, as will be described hereinafter, so that the first portion of water passing through the device will carry the treating liquid as it passes from the outlet end of the device.

As to the water flow path, it may be noted that the cylinder block 15 has a plurality of relatively small transmitting passages 26' formed longitudinally therethrough so that water that passes around the actuating piston 22 may flow through the passages 26 into the mixing chamber 18.

In the initial movement of the actuating piston 22 from its normal or retracted position of Fig. l to its actuated position of Fig. 2, there is very little flow of water about the piston 22 or throughthe openings 22R thereof, but

when the piston assembly 20has reached what has been termed its actuated position, the actuating piston 22 is located opposite a plurality of clearance passages 28 of actuating piston, and such water, of course, flows through the passages 26 and through the mixing chamber 18 to.

the outlet of the valve 10. It will be noted in respect to such bypass water flow that the piston 22 is relatively thin at its edges, and these edges are rounded and fur ther that the passages 28 have a width, longitudinally of the chamber 17,which is considerably greater than the thickness of the piston 22. This provides a limited and symmetrically distributed bypass area around the piston 22 when it is in the position shown in Fig. 2, so that flow of water around the piston 22 relieves a substantial portion of the pressure that has advanced the piston, and the piston assembly 20 remains in its actuated position so long as the water flow continues through the valve 10. One theory of such operation will be set forth hereinafter.

The cylinder block 15 as herein shown is made-up in i a sectional form which provides the groove 166, the supply port 24, and a number of mounting grooves to receive a plurality of rings 30. In the present instance, one .0 ring is provided between the groove 166 and the control chamber 17, while two spaced 0 rings 30 are provided between the groove 166 and the mixing chamber 18. Such 0 rings 30 provide a'convenient way in which the supply of treating liquid from the port 24 may be isolated from the control chamber 17 and the mixing chamber 18, while at the same time allowing relatively free longitudinal shifting movement of the piston assembly 20.

The sectional form of the cylinder block 15 is best shown in Fig. of the drawing where it will be evident that the cylinder block is formed from four washer-like members 115A, 115B, 115C and 115D that are inserted with a tight-press fit into an enlarged counterbore 111 in the outlet of the cylindrical body member 11 so that the innermost or upper one of the washer-like members is seated against a shoulder 1115 that is formed at the inner end of the counterbore 111. The several washers have corresponding openings 126 formed therethrough which 'are arranged in a matched relationship in the insertion of these members so that the openings 126 cooperate in the final assembled product to provide the delivery pase sage 26. The several washer-like members also have corresponding central or axial bores 116 which, in the assembled cylinder block, provide the cylinder 16 heretofore described.

The uppermost member 115A has a fiat bottom surface and has a top annular flange 23F surrounding the central bore 116, and this flange 23F serves as a centering means for the adjacent or lower end of the return spring 23. The next lower one of the washer-like members 115, that is the member 115B, is relatively thick and has a rabbeted annular groove 30-1 formed about the upper end of the central bore 116 to receive the upper one of the 0 rings hereinbefore described. Just below the rabbeted groove 3t]-1, the member 115B has the internal annular distributing groove 166 formed therein and the radial supply passages 24 are extended from opposite sides into the member 115B so as to meet the groove 16G. In the assembly of the parts, one of the passages 24 is, of course, located in aligned relationship to the opening.124 in the cylindrical member 11, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. It will be. evident, of course, that a similar opening 124 may be provided opposite the other of the passages 24 when this is required. The washer-like member 115B has a flat bottom surface.

The other two washer-like members 115C and 115D have flat bottom surfaces and are generally alike in form in that these members have annular rabbeted grooves '30-2 and 303 formed respectively therein so that,

. this position the measuring groove 21G is filled with treating liquid flowing through the supply passage 24. When water flow is initiated, the full inlet water pressure is applied to the adjacentface of the actuating piston 22, and aside from the small pressure loss due primarily to flow through the relief openings 22R, the full inlet pressure is elfective to .move the piston assembly 20 from its retracted position of Fig. 1 toward its final or actuated position of Fig. 2. As the piston assembly 20 advances, the measuring groove 21G transfers its measured content pastthe 0 rings 30 and into the mixing chamber 18, and when this has been. accomplished the actuating piston 22.has moved into position opposite the clearance grooves 28. When this operated position of Fig. 2 has been reached, water bypasses the actuating piston 22 and flows through the delivery passages 26 to'the mixing chamber 18 so as to pick up and mix with the measured charge of treating liquid that has been deposited in the mixing chamber 18. When the actuating piston 22' reaches the fully actuated relation there is a balancing of forces acting in opposite directions longitudinally of the actuating piston 22 so that the piston assembly remains substantially in the position shown in Fig. 2 until water flow has been terminated by closure of an upstream valve such as a valve in the supply line.

Such balancing of the forces acting on the actuating piston 22 serves to terminate the advancing or injecting stroke without requiring a positive stop of any kind in the path of the piston assembly, .it being noted that in this position the spring 23 is not fully compressed. Furthermore, the return movement of the piston assembly takes place slowly and at a rate governed by the relief openings 22R. Hence the action of the device is noiseless.

The precise location of the actuating piston 22 opposite the clearancepassages 28 is somewhat indeterminate in that the piston assembly is free to float back and forth in a longitudinal'sense toestablish a balancing of forces acting in opposite directions longitudinally on the piston 22.. This balancing action is due, at least in part, to a reduction in the static pressure head on the upper side of the piston 22 when flow of water takes place about the edge of the piston 22 and through the passages 28, and it has been found that this floating or self-adjusting action is, in a large measure, independent of the inlet water pressure and fiow rate. In tested embodiments of the injector having a As diameter control chamberl'l' with'the other parts proportioned as shown in the draw ing and with a four-pound return spring 23, the injector operated uniformly throughout an extremely wide range of variation in inlet water pressure. Thus, the desired action was attained when the inlet water pressure reached approximately eight pounds per square inch, and such action was uniformly attained up to an inlet water pressure of substantially 45 pounds per square inch. 7

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the present invention provides a. novel and advantageous injector for introducing a measured quantity of treating liquid into a water supply line in a highly eflicient man-' ner eachtime the fiow'of .water is started through the water line. It will also be evident that the present invention proyides such an injecting, device that op- Thus while I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the appending claims.

I claim:

'1. In an injector for injecting a measured quantity of a treating liquid into a water line each time water flow is started in the line, an elongated housing having inlet and outlet ends adapting the housing for series connection in a water line, a cylinder block within said housing near and defining a mixing chamber between said block and said outlet end and a control chamber between said block and said inlet end, said cyiinder block having an axial cylinder extended therethrough and having at least one flow passage therethrough for carrying water from said said control chamber to said mixing chamber, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder from a retracted posi tion toward said outlet end to an actuated position, said piston having an annular measuring groove formed therein located inside said cylinder when said piston is in its retracted position and located in said mixing chamber when said piston is located in its actuated position, an actuating plate on said piston and reciprocable in said control chamber, a spring in said control chamber for urging said piston to said retracted position, and clearance passages in said housing opposite the position occupied by said plate when said piston is in said actuated position and through which water may flow around and in contact with the edge of said actuating piston.

2. An injecting valve of the character described comprising an elongated housing having inlet and outlet end caps at opposite ends, a cylinder block mounted therein and having an axial cylinder formed therethrough, a piston in said cylinder movable from a retracted position to an actuated position and having an annular measuring groove formed therein, said piston block having an inlet port extended laterally therein in position to communicate with said measuring groove when said piston is in its retracted position, an operating plate on one end of said piston arranged to engage said inlet end cap to determine said retracted position, spring means for urging said piston to said retracted position, and cylinder block having at least one passage cut longitudinally therethrough for passage of water to said outlet end cap, and internal clearance passages formed in said wall of said housing through which water may flow about the edge of said plate when said piston has been actuated by water pressure to said actuated position, said measuring groove being located within said outlet end cap when said piston is in its actuated position for mixing of the treating liquid with water flowing through said cylinder block to said outlet end cap.

3. In an injector for injecting a measured quantity of a treating liquid into a water line each time water flow is started inthe line, an elongated housing having inlet and outlet ends adapting the housing for series connection in a water line, a cylinder block within said housing defining a mixing chamber between said block and said outlet end and defining a control chamber between said block and said inlet end, said cylinder block having an axial injector cylinder extended therethrough and having at least one flow passage therethrough for carrying water from said control chamber, a composite piston assembly having a measuring piston reciprocable in said injector cylinder and an actuating piston reciprocable in said control chamber, said piston assembly being shiftable from a retracted position toward said outlet end to an actuated position, said measuring piston having an annular measuring groove formed therein located inside said injector cylinder when said piston assembly is in its retracted position and located in said mixing chamber when said piston assembly is located in its actuated po sition, a supply passage in said cylinder block for filling said groove with treating liquid when said piston assembiy retracted, a spring in said control chamber for urging said piston assembly to said retracted position, and clearance passages in said housing opposite the position occupied by said actuating piston when said piston assembly is in said actuated position to bypass water around the edge of said actuating piston and thereby balance the forces acting and said actuating piston and maintain said piston assembly in said actuated position during continued water flow.

4. In an injector for injecting a measured quantity of a treating liquid into a water line each time water flow is started in the line, an elongated housing having inlet and outlet ends adapting the housing for series connection in a water line, a cylinder block within said housing defining a mixing chamber between said block and said outlet end and a control chamber between said block and said inlet end, said cylinder block having an axial injector cylinder extended therethrough and having at least one flow passage therethrough for carrying water from said control chamber, a composite piston assembly having a measuring piston reciprocable in said injector cylinder and an actuating piston reciprocable in said control chamber, said piston assembly being shiftable from a retracted position toward said outlet end to an actuated position, said measuring piston having an annular measuring groove formed therein located inside said injector cylinder when said piston assembly is in its retracted position and located in said mixing chamher when said piston assembly is located in its actuated position, a supply passage in said cylinder block for filling said groove with treating liquid when said piston assembly is retracted, spring means urging said piston as sembly to said retracted position, and symmetrically related clearance passages cut into the internal surface of said housing opposite the position occupied by said actuating piston when said piston assembl is in said actuated position to bypass water around the edge of said actuating piston and thereby balance the forces acting and said actuating piston and maintain said piston assembly in said actuated position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 932,386 Gross Aug. 24, 1909 1,885,363 Leitner Nov. 1, 1932 2,598,535 Green May 27, 1952 2,682,883 Phillips July 6, 1954 2,696,828 Husing Dec. 14, 1954 2,710,016 Gallmeyer June 7, 1955 2,791,229 Pasco May 7, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 147,268 Australia July 9, 1952 

